The innovation–compliance–perception framework as a lens for AI governance — NLP evidence from Meta's smart glasses and GDPR discourse

• An Innovation–Compliance–Perception (ICP) framework is proposed to map the triangular interplay between AI innovation, regulatory compliance, and public perception. • VADER-based sentiment analysis of 334 media articles across eight outlets shows that positive sentiment clusters around product innovation while negative sentiment concentrates on GDPR compliance challenges. • Cross-outlet sentiment variation is statistically significant (p = 0.0119), confirming that media environment mediates public perception of the innovation–compliance tension. • Thematic co-occurrence analysis reveals that privacy concerns are predominantly framed through regulatory failure rather than technological capability. • Comparative EU–UK regulatory analysis identifies the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 as a new source of compliance divergence for AI wearable deployments. This study examines the interplay between technological innovation, regulatory compliance, and public perception surrounding Meta's AI-powered smart glasses within the EU's GDPR framework. Applying NLP methods—including VADER sentiment analysis, thematic mapping, and n-gram analysis—to a multi-source corpus of 334 articles from eight English-language outlets, the research reveals that positive sentiment clusters around product innovation while significant negative sentiment is tied to GDPR compliance challenges, a pattern statistically confirmed across outlets through chi-square testing (p = 0.0119). Thematic co-occurrence analysis identifies strong intersections between technology and privacy discourse, reflecting persistent concerns about data collection and surveillance. A comparative analysis of EU and UK GDPR frameworks highlights how post-Brexit regulatory divergence under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 adds compliance complexity for AI wearables. To interpret these dynamics, the paper develops an Innovation–Compliance–Perception (ICP) framework, demonstrating how governance simultaneously constrains and stimulates technological advancement.